April 25, 2006

Diocese in national spotlight

LINCOLN (NE)
Lincoln Journal Star

BY BOB REEVES / Lincoln Journal Star

Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz is getting a lot of national attention again because his is the only Roman Catholic diocese in the country that declined to participate in last year’s audit of compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The Diocese of Lincoln and the Melkite Eparchy of Newton, Mass., were the only Catholic jurisdictions in the United States that didn’t participate in the annual audit of compliance with guidelines on sex-abuse programs.

In issuing the audit report March 30 for more than 170 dioceses and several eastern rite eparchies, Patricia O’Donnell Ewers, chairwoman of theAbuse Tracker Review Board appointed by the bishops, called for “strong fraternal correction” of Bruskewitz and Melkite Archbishop Cyrille Bustros for their refusal to participate.

Bruskewitz issued a statement pointing out that the review board has no authority over bishops.

Posted by kshaw at April 25, 2006 12:48 PM